Protect, Adapt and Rally: The ILGA-Europe three-part plan to support the LGBTI movement through the Covid-19 crisis

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The LGBTI movement is strong, deeply connected and has much learning that can help the world at this time. We have the resilience, creativity, and solidarity to strengthen society’s response to the Covid-19 pandemic, and together create a better world for all of us on the other side.

The human rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans and intersex people must continue to advance, despite this time of unprecedented turbulence for the world, and in particular we must pay attention to people on the intersections in our communities who are particularly affected. With this in mind, the work at ILGA-Europe is adapting and carrying on. We continue to be committed to our members, to the movement, and to the purpose of the work that needs to be done.

This is ILGA-Europe’s plan to support our movement through this crisis :

1. Protect

We are already seeing the impact of the crisis on people who are underprivileged or marginalised. Our first priority is to support LGBTI groups looking after their communities by:

Supporting organisations to support and protect LGBTI communities through these times

Providing advice and resources on communicating clearly during crisis

Role modelling best practice in funder flexibility for groups at financial risk through our regranting

Continuing to carry out our important monitoring, documentation and advocacy work to protect LGBTI people in Europe and Central Asia, including specific assessment of the impact and challenges of the pandemic for our members and the community

2. Adapt

Our working principle is to adapt to new working situations and conditions, and to the new needs of the LGBTI community which arise as the Covid-19 crisis continues and beyond. We will support LGBTI groups to adapt to this new and unprecedented situation by:

Giving advice on transitioning to remote communication, campaigning and organising

Providing advice and resources on effective financial management through the crisis

Providing tech support and training on digital tools, online security and privacy

Programmatic advice on how to adapt your strategy and activities to the new reality

Offering advice on how to change advocacy focus and strategies to adapt to the current situation

3. Rally

When the unimaginable happens, it forces all of us to reimagine how the world could work. We can change the way the world sees LGBTI people, our rights and our place in society. We will first work on protection and adaption – then, in a few weeks from now, we hope to continue our journey with you to…

Work on reframing equality in the current context

Access funding for emerging needs

Strategise for effective online campaigning

Find new ways to effectively rally and campaign online

Explore and provide new ways for the movement to come together to learn from each other and mutually support

Strengthen the intersectional lense in all our advocacy work even more, ensuring we tackle the inequality crisis we are facing and including the most marginalised of our communities

Resources

This plan is a living thing and new resources will be added regularly.​

Strand 1: Protect

Briefing Document:

COVID-19 is generating complex challenges and risks and while the virus does not discriminate, it is very clear that it hits marginalised communities in our societies disproportionally hard. In addition, social distancing and other prevention measures, as needed as they are, can have unwanted negative impacts on the lives of marginalised groups. At ILGA-Europe, we are on an ongoing basis assessing the impact and challenges of the pandemic for our members and the community. This briefing document on impacts of the COVID-19 crisis on LGBTI people, includes a compendium of recommendations to policymakers as well as descriptions of specific barriers faced by the community.

Briefing Document:

In times of emergency, International and European Human Rights Law enable States to derogate from their obligations and enter a different regime of legality; provided they respect some fundamental principles. The aim of this paper is to set out the strict procedural and substantive rules States must follow when entering a situation of de jure derogation, i.e. officially notifying the international community that they will adopt measures impacting the human rights of their citizens. From a geographical point of view, the paper covers the application of derogatory measures in European and Central Asian States, to which the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the European Convention on Human Rights apply.

Blog:

While the opponents of LGBTI equality might also be overwhelmed with Covid-19 and focus their attention less on LGBTI groups right now, the digital footprints we leave today will still be around for a long time to come, which could make us more vulnerable after the crisis is over. So, now that most of our activities have moved online, how do we stay safe and secure? Here are tools and tips from the ILGA-Europe Programmes & Policy team.

Blog:

The Covid-19 crisis situation is changing every day, and as an LGBTI organisation you are going to want to keep your audience updated about what specifically matters to them. ILGA-Europe’s strategic communications consultant, Sho Konno, gives his key advice for communicating at this time.

Peer Support Group:

We have created a Facebook group for LGBTI activists in Europe and Central Asia to ask and answer questions about our external communications. Communications could be as large as ‘What kind of messaging should we use in a nation-wide media campaign?’ or it could be as small as ‘How do I set up our Instagram account?’.
ILGA-Europe's strategic communications consultant Sho Konno will be on hand to check the group and answer questions from Monday to Thursday. But the best support is peer support, so this group will work best if you reply to each other’s posts and contribute your own ideas and advice.

Strand 2: Adapt

Blog:

Amid the global outbreak of COVID-19, the fight for the human rights of LGBTI people doesn’t take a break, but how can activists and organisations connect and do their best work from kitchen tables? ILGA-Europe member organisation, All Out, has some answers. Based in home-offices in London, New York, Berlin, Sao Paulo, Milan and more, they’re sharing their top tips for working together virtually and productively across timezones.

Blog:

In every activist organisation, previously solid plans are up in the air as we adapt to a new and never before experienced working landscape. We all have more questions than answers at this moment, and it’s going to take some time before we have all the answers we need. In the meantime, our Programmes Director, Bjorn Van Roozendaal shares some key organisational tips, based on how ILGA-Europe are adapting our work plan for 2020.

Booklet:

Covid-19 is having far-reaching consequences for LGBTI communities and organisations around the world. While you may currently be focussed on understanding what the immediate future looks like for your organisation and your activities, don’t forget to dedicate some time to thinking through how you are going to continue operating your finances and administration during this turbulent time. The ILGA-Europe Finance and Admin team has gathered some tips on how to stay on top of the practical side of keeping your organisation running during the pandemic.

Survey:

We are hearing from many groups and organisations about a loss of income, either due to the withdrawal of funders or due to cancellation of Prides and other events, including those generating donations and other income. At ILGA-Europe we strive to support the work of the LGBTI movement in many ways, including by advocating for resources that meet the needs of LGBTI movements and communities. To enable us to have a clear message for institutions and funders, we would like to have better understanding of how COVID-19 is having an immediate impact on your income. Fill in our short survey to give us a first glance into where and how your financial resources are changing. The survey is eight questions long and should not take you more than ten minutes to fill in.

Deadline passed: Share your insight with us by Sunday, 26 April at 24:00 CEST.

Webinar:

We offered a platform for LGBTI activists across Europe and Central Asia to talk about their realities on how to continue staying in touch with LGBTI communities in light of global lockdown restrictions. During this webinar on Monday, 4 May 2020, we provided some inspiring examples and also talked about some of the challenges that our movement is currently dealing with.

Blog:

As we gear up to bring our annual fundraising event online, ILGA-Europe’s Partnerships Manager, Anna Shepherd gives her top tips for organising online events and bringing supporters on board. Our Gala will go ahead on June 25 as planned, but it will be an online event. We’ll be providing our supporters a virtual space to come together, enjoy some entertainment and inspiring speakers, and contribute to strengthening the European LGBTI movement. There won’t be a cocktail bar or dance floor, but we aim to keep as much as the spirit of the Gala as possible.

Strand 3: Rally

Webpage:

We have been compiling a list of grants and funding opportunities for LGBTI activists and organisations to tackle the consequences of COVID-19. Also included are ILGA-Europe's own funding streams: Creating Opportunities, which supports LGBTI activists to create campaigns with impact; and support for LGBTI human rights defenders and activists facing emergency situations in the time of COVID-19 through the Dignity for All programme.

This website has been produced with the financial support of the Rights Equality and Citizenship (REC) programme 2014-2020 of the European Union. The contents of this publication are the sole responsibility of ILGA-Europe and can in no way be taken to reflect the views of the European Commission.